Stilt.



H. u. FLEGEL.

STILT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, ms.

Eaten-1164i Apr. 23,1918.

nannrson n. rnnennor eacrnn, WISCONSIN.

STILT.

Application filed. February 12,1918. Serial 110,216,776.

To all whom it may concern: a

. Be it known that I, HARRISON D; FLEGEL, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Racine, in. the county of Racine andState of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful;Improvements in ,Stilts; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in stilts, more particularly to that type in which the stilt steps are adjustable to vary their distanceabo've the ground. .Although there are at present stilts which have adjustable steps, yet in moving the same it is necessary for the user to dismount in order to raise or lower the same. It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an adjustable stilt step with means whereby the same may be adjusted upwardly while in use, or in other words without the necessity of the user dismount 111 l in additional object is to 1 provide a simply constructed stilt which can be inexpensively manufactured. and marketed, and

one which will be very efficient in operation- NVith these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds, the invention resides in certain novelfeatures of construction, combina tion and arrangement ofparts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 represents an elevational view of a portion of a pair of stilts constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an inner elevational view of a portion of one of the stilts. a

Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 44L of the same figure.

Inasmuch as both of the stilts are constructed substantially alike, one only will be particularly described. In the accompanying drawing similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the different views.

Referring more particularly to these several views it will be seen that the numeral 1 denotes a stilt staff or standard upon which an adjustable step 2 is adapted to slide. The standard 1 is preferably of wood, while in order to reducevthe size anddecrease the cost of the metal parts, such as the step 2, an e ong t d r at a a 3 saw d to and spacedfrom the inner face of said standard by-means ofspacing blocks 1 and screws 5.

The plate 3 is adapted to slidably receive the stilt step 2, said step being preferably formed from a plateof sheet metal bent into i Specification of Iiette rs Patent. Patented Apr. 23, 1.913; r

substantially U-shape, one armfi of which forms the step proper and receives the weight. of the user, the other arm 7 being relatively short and adapted to provide a foot piece, the purpose of the same being hereinafter more particularly set forth;

Each of the arms 6 and 7 adjacent their connection with the base portion 8 of the U-shapedplate is provided with an elon gated opening 9 substantially the same size and shape as the plate 3, said openings being alined to receive said plate. As shown in Fig. 1 the base portion Sis disposed in ongagement with the inner surface of the plate. 3, and the arms 6 and 7 project beyond the outer surface thereof. Said base portion 8 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 10 connecting the openings 9 to permit the step to slide past the spacing blocks 4:. a

The step is supported and held in. ad justed positions by means of a bracket which is in the form of a vertically positioned plate 11 which depends from and is secured to the arm 6. The edge of said substantially parallel with the base portion 8 of the step, and at the lower end ofthis edge is formed an inwardly projectingstop 12, the lower edge of the same being at right angles to the plate 3 and the upper edge at an oblique angle thereto. This stop 12 is designed to engage in anyone of the longitudinally vertically disposed series of openings 13 in the plate 3, said series being clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In the operation of my device, assuming that a person is standing on the steps of a pair of stilts as in Fig. 1 and desires to elevate the said steps, he alternately lifts his feet from the arms 6 and into engagement bracket adjacent the plate 3 is normally foot-piece plied downwardly upon the arm 6 move ment of the stilt step will be prevented by the engagement of the straight edge of the stop 12 with one of the openings 13. A yoke 14 carried by the plate 11 embraces the plate 3 and prevents excessive movement or the former away from the latter.

Attention is directed to the fact that oWingto the slotted base 8 projecting in one direction from the foot-arm and the bracket 11 projecting in the opposite direction, lift of the foot to engage the rigid 7 Will cause a positive rock of the entire step and as the stop 12 will be drawn out of its engaged notch, the'entire step Will readily lift upon the plate or bar without any tendency to cramp or become disarranged, as the power of the foot is applied by pressing inwardly and against the foot-piece 7. a When the Weight 01 the person is put upon the foot-arm there is no tendency tor the step to inadvertently slip because the Weight Will'tend to force the stop 12 into engagement With the first notch Which it opposes. Thus the entire foot-step has leverage action to insure locking, While, at the same time, it will not cramp by a foot lift.

From the foregoing description it Will be readily seen that a stilt constructed as illus trated in the drawing canreadily be operated to permit upper movement of the stilt steps While the same are occupied. Various minor changes may be made in the form and proportion ofthe several parts Without departing from or sacrificing any of the features of: the invention, for instance the elongated plates 3 may be eliminated and the stilt steps permitted to slide directly on the standards 1.

I claim c 1. A stilt comprising a metallic bar hav- Copies of thispateiit may be obtained for ing series of recesses therein, a step in slidable union with the bar, the step comprising a toot-arnn-a' slotted base-piece engageable with the bar, and a rigid tootpiece extending outwardly from the terminal of the base-piece constituting a lifting element, a bracket extending from the tootarm in the opposite direction from the base portion thereof and having a stop at its outer end adapted to engage the recesses in the aforesaid bar, a guide yoke associated with the stop and engageable with the bar.

2. A; stilt comprising a metallic bar having a series of recesses therein, a step in slidable union with the bar, the step comprising a foot-arm, a slotted base-piece engageable with the bar, and a rigid footpiece extending outwardly iroin the terminal of the base-piece constituting a lifting element, a bracket extending from 'thc footarm in the opposite direction from the base portion thereof and having a stop at its outer end adapted to engage the recesses in the aforesaid bar,

3. A stilt comprising a stall, a metallic bar provided with a series of recesses, secured to the stall? and offset therefrom, a step in slid-able union with the bar, the step comprising a toot-arm, a slotted base-piece engageable with the bar and. a rigid tootpiece extending outwardly from the terminal of the base-piece constituting a lifting element, and a bracket extending from the foot-arm in the opposite direction from the base portion thereof and having a stop at its outer end adapted to engage the recesses in the aforesaid bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand at Racine, in the county of Racine, and State of \Visconsin.

HARRISON D. FLEGEL.

Washington, D. C. i 

